Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of automation control and monitoring systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to identification of data objects within automation control and monitoring systems.
A wide range of applications exist for automation control and monitoring systems, particularly in industrial settings. Such applications may include the powering of a wide range of actuators, such as valves, electric motors, and so forth, and the collection of data via sensors. Typical automation control and monitoring systems may include one or more components, such as: programming terminals, automation controllers, input/output (I/O) modules, and/or human-machine interface (HMI) terminals.
The human machine interfaces or “HMIs” are commonly employed for monitoring or controlling various processes. HMIs may be employed in numerous different settings, such as in automobiles, aircraft, commercial settings, and a host of other applications. The HMIs may read from or write to specific registers such that they can reflect the operating state of various machines, sensors, processes, and so forth. The HMIs can also write to registers and memories such that they can, to some extent, control the functions of the process. In monitoring functions alone, little or no actual control is executed.
HMIs or interfaces of an automation control system typically employ objects, which are software components that may include an accessible or configurable element in a software environment. For example, objects may include self-sufficient programs that can be run as quasi-independent elements. Objects may include, among other things, device elements and data tags. Objects used in an interface may correlate to different controls, monitors, or any other parameter of an industrial automation device. Such objects may be particular instances of a general object type stored in the interface. Some of these objects may have visual representations on the interface devices, while other objects may not be visually represented but may be accessible for configuration and programming by a user. A user may desire to manipulate these objects, such as by creating new objects, copying objects, editing objects, etc., to create and customize an interface. It is now recognized that improved management of the identity of such objects, via the automation control and monitoring system, is desirable.